Third graders had a close-up look at many areas of agriculture, including bees, during the annual 3rd Grade Ag Day.

The annual Third Grade Ag Day, led by the Benton County Extension Service with the help of many other ag leaders as well as the FFA chapters of Vinton-Shellsburg, Benton Community and Belle Plaine high schools, gave hundreds of area students an up-close look at chickens, pigs, sheep, goats and horses, and a chance to learn more about how farming contributes to their lives.

Extension Director Greg Walston said the event reached around 250 third grade students from VS, Benton and Belle Plaine, and included nearly 150 others. The Benton County Cattlemen cooked burgers, Farm Bureau members served lunch and the displays inside also included bees, the animal hide displays of the Benton County Conservation Department, and information about 4-H.

Participants also learned about seeds, and the different products that come from corn and pork. Farm safety and tractor safety were also part of the day’s lessons. A display from the East Central Iowa REC also included demonstrations of the dangers of power lines and electrical safety.